My Mom's Having a Baby
By Dori Hillestad Butler. Illustrated by Carol Thompson. Albert Whitmen & Company, 2005. 32 pages. $15.95. Ages 6-10. Summary Elizabeth is about to become a big sister. She excitedly shares with the reader her baby’s development in a month by month depiction. Each month contains an illustration of the baby’s growth, accompanied with text that relays to the reader how the baby is changing. Relating the baby's growth to things the child is familiar with, such as a front tooth and a stuffed rabbit, brings the baby to life for children. Naturally some important questions arise as Elizabeth wonders how the baby got to be inside her mother. These issues are addressed in a no-nonsense manner. The cartoon illustrations, complete with speech bubbles, at first seem at odds with the serious subject nature. Yet having the story narrated by young Elizabeth makes these bright, cheerful watercolor cartoon illustrations a proper fit, and in the end they add to the joyful nature of the text. Children will readily relate to Elizabeth’s curiosity. The answers provided within this book may help to put young minds at ease over mom’s changing body and the altering of the family unit. Perhaps the most important message throughout this book is the feeling of love captured both through the text and illustrations. Reasons for Challenge or Ban: This book was the 4th most challenged book in the US in 2011. Many found the sex education in the book to be objectionable. Related reasoning such as nudity, sexually explicit, and being unsuitable to the age group were listed.1 What parents/teachers/librarains should know: In the center of this book conception is thoroughly explained, complete with anatomically correct illustrations of a man and a woman. The illustration of the actual conception is done with modesty, with the couple depicted under sheets, but the text details the concept of sex..."The man puts his penis between the woman's legs and inside her vagina. After a while, a white liquid shoots out of a man's penis and into the woman's vagina." (p.14). While this is a great resource for parents to use in explaining the making of a baby, it is one that parents may want to help guide. The author has a parents guide available for the book that state, "My Mom's Having a Baby was written to help parents and children talk openly and honestly about where babies come from".2 Including this guide with a circulating copy of the book would not only assist parents but may also act as a cautionary measure. This is a great educational resource to include in any public library collection. Additional Information: Here is a video of the author speaking about banned books. It was featured in the Banned Books Virtual Read Out. Here is a link to Dori Hillestad Butler's blog where she writes about this book, along with some of the other titles she has written. Resouces: 1American Library Association. (2012). Frequently challenged books of the 21st century. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged. 2Butler, D. H. (n.d.). My mom's having a baby parents guide. Retrieved from http://www.kidswriter.com/MyMomsHavingABaby-ParentsGuide.pdf.